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Columbia (Planet)
General Attributes Columbia is a near-Earth approximate body, slightly larger than humanity's cradle with extended day/night and seasonal cycles. It orbits a binary star, one analogous to Sol's own star, and a paired white dwarf. Scientific estimates place collision between the two as occuring at some point within the next 200,000 years. The planet has a nitrogen-oxygen, breathable atmosphere, although higher altitudes require breathing apparatus due to thin O2 levels. Three main continents comprise the planet's crust, with a prevalence of archipelagos breaking off towards equatorial regions. Two massive ice caps form polar regions. History Columbia was discovered in 2339 by a joint UN-USAE scientific mission, exploring gravitic distortions around known Briar Patch areas. These turbulent regions generally appear close to nebulae, star-forming regions or parts of space heavily populated with stars and large planetary systems. Given the interference caused with Skip drives and their component Sabine engines in these regions, the safe routes for travel between systems located near to the distortions are routinely mapped by expeditions from all governments. Columbia was an anomaly at first - although near-habitable planets had been discovered before, all had required at least an element of the lengthy and expensive terraforming process. The possibility of a world that could be settled immediately was a tantalizing one, leading the USAE scientists to claim the planet in the name of their nation. The claim itself was ruled illegal by a UN council, stating that as the USAE was part of a joint expendition, both the nation and the UN could lay claim to it. Being the supreme supranational body (and the one with the biggest guns), the USAE was forced to relinquish its claim and establish consilium rule. The planet was effectively made neutral, and lying as it did in the confluence between major Skip points, would almost inevitably become a trading hub in its own right. Led by a Governor, the planet's rule would be overseen from a spaceborne installation, with democratic rule administered by a Council comprised equally of representatives from different nations. The appointment was hardly relished - outside of the scientific interest, Columbia is a border world in the truest sense, being at the fringes of possible Skip translation due to the enormous nebulae that fence it in. As such, it tends to be removed from the minutiae of court intrigue that defines inner-system life, although its importance as a trade route was such that it could not be overlooked. Salvation The installation, crowned Salvation in English and analogous words in the other languages of humanity, commenced operation on 2249. A transition period of military to civilian rule took around eight months to complete, during which time, the first UN governor was installed. Ahoyo Ukwun, a quiet, bookish man by nature, was ill-suited to the charisma and presence required to oversee and mediate between forceful diplomats. His time was mostly occupied preventing the bickering that a seasoned diplomat should be abl to navigate with ease. As a result, departments unrelated to high politics were given broad autonomy and lax regulation to perform their duties. Residency counts exploded, trade posts set up and dismantled at will, and the thin contingent of USAE Colonial Marines, originally placed to provide security for the transition, found themselves unable to transition to a policing role without diplomatic incident. Ukwun was removed from office in 2257, although medical reasons were given as an official cause for replacement. In his place, retired General Paolo Benitez took over. Benitez proved a study in constrasts to his predecessor, but an effective one. The establishment of the Salvation Corps of Investigation provided a non-military solution to the station's security issues, even if accusations of it being little more than a paramilitary force under the direct control of the Governor's office were leveled almost immediately. The incipient slums near the docks were cleared, although the area remans, to this day, a hotbed of criminal activity. Salvation continued to thrive, eventually reaching a milestone of 75,000 inhabitants in 2282. The addition of extra facilities makes it the biggest installation of its kind for light years around, and daily traffic is estimated in the millions. Settlements Columbia has five major settlements on the surface, and an unknown number of research outposts, communications points, and temporary communities, all manned or unmanned in varying capacities. Salvation's Reach The de facto capital city of Columbia, established in 2250 and named for the enormous space station that orbits above it. It was the first rudimentary settlement on the planet, and has a population of around 11,000. The city is self-sustaining and full equipped with infrastructure, in stark contrast to most of the other nascent towns on the planet, and serves as the primary conduit off-world through the Benitez Spaceport. Recently, Salvation's Reach became the birthplace of the first human to be born on a non-terraformed world. The city is located on the so-called Frozen Coast, which suffers severe winters and summers. Autumn Salvation's second city, and one approaching the size of Reach. Autumn serves as a scientific and military hub for the planet, whereas its sister is primarily a civilian one. The population, as a result, is transitoru, but the permanent numbers top out at around 8,000. Farpoint A military forward operating base, around which a town slowly sprang up. Population estimates are around 3,000. Barrow Named for the Alaskan town on Earth, Barrow lies to the far north of the planet's largest continent, housing scientific research facilities and logistical capabilities for expeditions into the tundra and the polar regions. Cassandra A pseudo-resort city, built over several archipelagos on the equatorial belt. The region is partly geared towards commerce, and partly tourism, although this is primarily to alleviate the traffic running through Reach on a daily basis.